Dragon Age: A Tale of Two Couslands Redux
by wilsonnatefwp
Summary: In this scenario two Couslands escape Arl Howe's betrayel: The Hero of Ferelden and her little brother. This is his story.


Edex Cousland looked at over the vast, blighted wastes of the Anderfels. Despite the trials and tribulations that would impede progress with reconstruction. Decannon glanced back over his shoulder at those who had chosen to follow him. These were the downtrodden, the broken, and those who were looked down upon. From these lands a free nation would develop in which they could live in prosperity, and power. This would be his legacy.

In the Cousland estate in Highever, 14 years before the fifth blight a child was born to Teyrn Bryce Cousland, and Teyrna Eleanor Cousland. A few years younger than both his siblings he was often the at the offending end of jokes, and various pranks. This caused the boy to retreat into himself, developing unto him an almost impenetrable shell of immunity to jabs and insults. Whats more, this inward spiral caused him to develop a fascination with history and everything in Thedas to do with it. Although he impressed his tutors with his intellect, he was also stubborn, cynical, and often brushed off work his tutors assigned him in favor of reading, exploring the estate's grounds, and practicing his swordplay. In his studies he also found an appreciation of economics, and business in general. He quickly proved his aptitude in this regard by planning out multiple endeavors before he had seen more than 10 winters.

This boy was Edex Cousland, youngest of the latest generation of Couslands. If there was a pariah in the tight-knit Cousland family it was him. Edex was also the carrier of revolutionary ideas on agriculture, and manufacturing. The most important was his belief that kings should be elected via popular sovereignty, and not be hereditary. To the further dismay of his parents and their noble colleagues, he believed in freedom, and equality. These ideas vilified him in the social circles of the gentry to which the rest of his family blended so seamlessly into. Among the peasants of Fereldan however he was a hero and his name was praised as a champion of liberty despite his age. He reveled in this acclaim and visited those who supported him and his ideas often, quickly becoming a usual face among the everyday citizens of Highever. In the year of 9:30 Dragon age, in preparation of the passing through of the Howe army, Teyrn Cousland, now in his later years, visits his isolated son in his alcove.

Edex Cousland was sitting lazily in an oaken chair placed haphazardly next to his desk. His legs were sprawled across the top of said desk, dirt from his boots was sprinkled over the various areas he had put his feet up. The heavy door to his office/ room creaked open and in stepped the Teyrn.

"Son, while I'm gone with Fergus and our soldiers, you and your sister will be in charge of Highever,"

" What parts, I mean you know that I know better than most people here how much work has to be put in to keep Highever on its feet, "."I'm going to be honest with you. I don't know how confident I am with the kings assessment of how things are going with the darkspawn. Fergus and I could be gone for months, and I want you to handle our estate. Only with business, the remaining guard and everything else will rest with your sister,". At this Edex closed his eyes and hit the back of his head on the back oh his chair and sighed. He looked up and said

"Are you paying me? I don't work for free,".

"You're my son, do I really have to? You should do it for free if family matters to you!"

"How about you let me take a trip to the Free Marches as payment?"

"Why do you always want to leave Fereldan and go to the other nations?"

"I want to see the world, to explore, and find out what it has in store!"

"Fine, but no more! You need to learn to be content with life,"

Several weeks later, it was time for his father and Fergus along with their private army to march to Ostagar with King Cailin. Edex had turned to bed earlier than usual, despite his loathing of losing hours which he could be reading. Suddenly he shot up in his sleep after remembering he had set up a game of cards with a group of the guards. Hastily he got dressed, haphazardly putting on all the various pieces of his armor. The armor itself was a masterpiece, crafted by a master smith in Denerim with whom his family enjoyed a pleasant relationship with. The Cousland family crest was embroidered on the front in its usual color scheme of blue and white. The material was everite, with various bits and pieces made out of blue vitriol and paragons luster to match the crest. These parts were mostly for show, conflicting with the usual Fereldan theme of practicality, but his father had said it was fitting of nobility to have such bargello.

Edex slipped his twin daggers, made out of silverite mined in Amaranthine, into their sheathes at his hips. He walked particularly fast as to not be more late than he already was. He rounded a corner, turning from the castle's lush courtyard into the stretch from there to the treasury room where they were to meat when he hard a muffled thud from the door beside him. He stopped dead in his tracks, carefully pressing his ear up to the door as to listen to what was happening. It was then he heard voices.

"Idiot, what was he thinking two against one. Are all the guards here so stupid?"

"I'm not complaining. It'll make it all the more easy whenever the Arl makes his move." A third voice appeared at this point that spoke with authority similar to that of a guard captain.

"Stop chatting! If you two keep on babbling we'll miss the signal and miss out on all the fun!"

Edex's heart sank. He knew all the remaining guards by name, and these men weren't them. Add to that they mentioned the Arl making a move, and he was able to put it together. Arl Howe was going to try and strike them while their army was gone!

Edex rushed into the Great Hall, hoping to find his father to warn him before it was too late. He burst into the room only to be greeted by the sight of the Arl's soldiers executing unconscious guards. At the same time on the other side of the Great Hall, Ser Gilmore, along with several other guards, entered the room. The main bulk of the Arl's men went to engage the guards, while the only mage turned her attention towards him. The mage raised here staff and frost gathered on the tip. Suddenly she pointed the staff at him and a blast of pure winter shot out at Edex. Edex jumped aside while the ball hit a bookcase behind him, and it turned as brittle as the first hint of ice on a lake. Edex threw one of his now unsheathed daggers at the offending mage, and it struck her in the neck. Blood started to flow out of the wound, and the mage stood still and just stared at the blade before collapsing to the ground with a thump. At the same time Ser Gilmore defeated one of the solders, and thee other guards quickly overwhelmed the rest.

Edex stood up, his joints aching where they had hit the stone floor. He called out to Ser Gilmore

"Have you seen any of my family?"

"No my lord, they are probably in their rooms. I don't think the fighting has reached there yet"

At that very moment his mother and his very bewildered sister walked in.


End file.
